I've often been fascinated by humanity, and torn all the same. So much has been accomplished by mankind, and so much of it has been for the wrong reasons. Being perhaps the most capable species for great change, you so rarely do change things for the better, much less great. I present you with a question, if an atom can create a nuclear weapon, surely it can create something with just an impact but far more positive to civilization...Correct? Why did the curiosity for harnessing the power that elements held for something amazing, prolific, awe-inspiring even...Suddenly disappear? What changed? Why did everyone stop trying so hard to something amazing and beneficial to everyone around them? Take for instance that historically the United States (Used for relation, you can really use about any country) has been a violent, and often overtaking power. When this country was settled they pushed out the native population, often taking advantage of the native population for personal gain...They killed simply because things were different. Why such a angry response to diversity? I've seen it often throughout the world, Africa, Europe, the U.K. So it isn't an isolated problem to just one portion of the world, almost every country has had a violent upbringing and is still quite hateful. It just seems like society for the general part embraces change about as well as a wolf would embrace a rabbit, but of course for completely different motivations (The wolf of course is eating, society is simply maiming). I often question my observations of a world so capable of great things that simply pisses the opportunity away, wondering why they are so against positive change. I've often been told I would do great things if I wanted, and of course I want to...But it almost seems that my great things would be overshadowed by the torrent of atrocities that this world comes up with day in and day out. I challenge you all, if you will, I'm sure everyone has a talent...Find a way to harness your talent for the absolute most positive outcome, and dare I say, go and change the world.
Acute observations Oscar. To use the same example, nuclear energy, as destructive as it is, also has the power to harness unlimited energy to power up entire cities. All this has a very logical reason. Our inventions are an extension of ourselves, therefore, they reflect our character, desires and wants in their systems. When we are aggressive or at war, we build death machines, find new and more efficient ways to kill, destroy landscapes and buildings. When we are at peace, we construct schools and find new cures for our ailments, we help each other. Our inventions are not evil or bad, neither good nor holy, Humans either choose to be or not. This is all rooted in our biology. Non human animals exist only to survive and reproduce. Fortunately, we thrive and choose to spend our lives how we want. But our instincts are still there. Our history has shown us that humans have committed countless ethnic genocides and atrocities against one another just because they perceived them differently than them, even though they were the same, Humans. But this inter species competition, happens all across the Tree of Life. Remember that as Homo sapiens, we were quickly to get rid of Neanderthals and other hominids. Life has always been about survival. It is only logical to expect that as we got smarter, we also got better at inventing more efficient ways of killing. Whoever did it first, had more chances to survive into the future. Wherever you are right now, whatever 'race' or culture you are, your past is tainted with the blood of your ancestors. Thanks to their bloody sacrifices, to their struggle, you are alive and well today. This basically means that we are the sharpest spears that Nature has polished since it began, the result of a swift, cold and clinical process of evolution to determine the fittest organisms that have a chance to experience this reality. Since Life started, it has been a gruesome and epic 4000 million year war, against the environment, other species and time itself.
On the subject of those instances where the native populations were driven out by the emigrating settlers; well that could be explained away as the world going through it's teen years - tempestuous and irrational. As a population we have grown since then. We might not be rid of all forms of discrimination, but we have come a long way. All those world crimes in the past were commited out of ignorance and intolerance. And they were necessary for us to see the dark side of our own conscience; without those incidents we wouldn't be where we are. Now on the front of scientific developments; there's been a lot of those in recent times. The world really isn't a bad place; it's just that a few bad apples can make the entire bunch seem rotten. Trite, I know, but it's true.